Supernatural: “The Girl Next Door”

I am still wondering if the title for this week’s episode is a slight nod to Doctor Who. Considering that one of the central characters is named Amy Pond, I’d say there is a high probability. Directed by Jensen Ackles, “The Girl Next Door” reveals some interesting things about Sam’s past (which also means we get to see Colin Ford again, as a young Sam), intertwining present events with those long gone.

The episode begins as the brothers find themselves in the hospital, after an unfortunate encounter with a leviathan last week. The problem is, the leviathans infiltrated this very hospital earlier, posing as doctors, in order to be able to feed on people. With Bobby’s help, the Winchesters narrowly escape the leviathans. While Dean isn’t capable of much with his broken leg, Sam takes off as he picks up a case that is strongly reminiscent of the one he solved when he was a teenager, and encountered a kitsune, a creature that feeds on people’s brains.

Jensen Ackles once again proves himself to be quite a capable director. I really enjoyed seeing the flashbacks with young Sam, as he formed a connection with Amy, who, years later, turned out to be the very creature he was hunting. There are several powerful scenes, as well as some humor (also featuring Dean and the famous apple pie), and overall, the episode goes through a whole range of emotions. The ending of brings an unexpected development, as Sam and Dean are faced with the dilemma of what exactly to do with Amy. But it’s the very last scene that is the most disturbing in the episode, complete with Supernatural‘s signature twisted humor.

Seems like the season is going quite strong. What are your thoughts about season 7 so far?